


Inexplicably linked

by beckyemma96



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-06-08 06:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6842173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beckyemma96/pseuds/beckyemma96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How do they cope when one of them is severely injured?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Lady from the grocery store**

A true look of sadness, well I suppose that would have been that poor girl at the grocery store last week. It’s just such a great escape from the kids you know, so I take my time but last week I saw this beautiful girl at the end of the tins aisle I was on. 

She looked ever so pale, poor thing had a hand pressed to her stomach, I knew that feeling, probably here for supplies.

Her phone rang and well she seemed perfectly happy to answer whoever was on the end. I wasn't close enough to hear what was said to her but I've never seen such a look of pure despair on someone’s face. I’ll never know what happened to her but she dropped her basket and ran out of there before I could offer my help.

**Hospital Receptionist**

As a receptionist for the trauma centre you’d think I’d see it several times a day but a true look of sadness is surprisingly rare. People have this unfailing faith in their belief that the hospital can save anyone especially their relative who is undoubtedly the strongest person they know.

But this morning there was this girl who looked dead inside already, so pale I thought she should have been the patient not the visitor. She asked, no begged really for the location of Scott Moir and his family whom I recognised as a trauma patient who had been brought in a few hours before.

Poor thing couldn’t tell her much but I did point her in the right direction, I send my prayers to her and that family.

Alma Moir

Tessa and Scott have always been inexplicably linked, for a good 15 years or so of their 19 year partnership. So she hadn’t been surprised to see a girl who was barely holding it together when Tessa came to a stop in front of the family asking immediately if we had any news of him. My poor boy, that drunk driver had come out of nowhere and crashed into his truck, thank god that that old hulking monstrosity had protected him. He wasn’t dead at least, that was something.

Danny, bless him, told her they hadn’t heard anything since they had rushed him into surgery. She collapsed to the floor and broke down into what basically amounted to hysterics clutching at her stomach. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a visceral sound of complete and utter misery.

I watched hopelessly as she fell apart in front of us as my youngest fought for his life somewhere in the hospital we were in.

**Danny Moir**

I was almost surprised when Tessa actually reached the floor. I faced the gut wrenching realisation that she had reached the floor because Scott has always been there to catch her before. Practically attached at the hip for nearly 20 years, he had been her protector, best friend and partner in all the ways that mattered.

Dad had just gathered her up off the floor as a Doctor appeared and asked if this was everyone for Scott Moir. When mum assured him they were all here for him he explained that Scott was out of surgery but not entirely out of danger, his heart rate was still low and had yet to wake up from surgery.

We watched as Tessa pulled herself out of Dads arms and asked if she could please be with him. She could feel him hurting, she explained as we all looked on wondering whether the stress was just too much for her. The last time the pair had been through something like this was Tessa’s planned surgery on her legs and Scott had been frantic then, this was a hundred times worse. Her face was the very image of anguish as she clutched at her stomach. Muttering to herself about how she could feel it, his pain, but it would get better if they could be together.

Mum explained their unique situation; the trauma doc seemed to look at her with something akin to understanding and took them to Scott.

We had all conveniently forgotten about Scott’s current girlfriend Jane. She certainly suited her name, quite a plain Jane, a vague resemblance to Tessa and Jesus he must have been really scraping the bottom of the Tessa look-a-like barrel this time. Her reaction didn't even compare to Tessa’s, and her reaction to her breakdown wasn't in the least bit surprising. “They really love each other don’t they?”

**The Doctor**

I’d been looking after this trauma case all morning, a 29 year old man had been brought in this morning after a drunk driver had crashed into him. If he hadn’t been in such good shape I don’t think he would have survived. One of the nurses recognised him and let the receptionist’s know to contact the family.

His skating partner was with his family, the poor lad had pulled through his surgery but he wasn’t doing well, with low blood pressure and a slow heart rate he was barely holding on, there had after all been some extreme internal damage. I could see the pain in her eyes and she was clutching at similar areas where Scott had been hurt.

She was ever so pale, and almost delirious, that made my mind up. I didn’t really go in for that hippy mumbo telepathic connection thing but the girl did seem to be in genuine pain. That made my mind up and I led the family to his room explaining that only two could go in at a time. Once we got off the elevator I might as well not have been there, she directed herself to his room without my direction.

I watched as her pallor gained some colour and her shoulders relaxed only improving as she moved closer getting even better when she tentatively picked up his hand. His heart rate picked up and he lost some of his ashen skin tone, his mother gave a large sigh of relief.

She looked at me and smiled, “It’s strange isn’t it? They’ve always been like that, when they were younger if one of them got sick the other would get sick to. In the end we’d just put them in the same bed and they’d get better quicker, like they were sharing the illness. A couple of years ago in the middle of a family dinner Scott dropped his knife and fork and flew out of the door shouting that Tessa was hurt. We learnt the next day that she had burnt herself quite badly on the cookie sheet she had pulled out of the oven, fainted from the pain and smacked her head on the counter. She would have been fine but Scott had known she had hurt herself. Don’t worry; they wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I was pretty incredulous about the whole thing but I was literally watching my patient improve in front of me. I explained that he had a broken arm, a dislocated hip and some very severe trauma to his abdomen but he was pulling out of the danger zone. Given a couple of days and he could be moved out of the ICU.

Tessa seemed to have fallen asleep beside Scott; I told his mother that she was very welcome to stay but that more than two people at once was inadvisable and then left to see other patients.


	2. Chapter 2

** Chapter 2 **

** Tessa **

It had been less than two hours since I’d received the phone call that had explained the pain I’d been feeling. I’d just assumed that Scott had a nasty stomach bug and I’d been at the market picking up his favourites when Alma had rung.

“Tessa, it’s Scott, he’s been in an accident. Can you please come to the hospital? He’s in surgery …”

That’s all I heard before I hung up the phone and hightailed it out of the store. I’m pretty sure that I earned at least one speeding ticket. I hadn’t stopped running, I barely remember the receptionist but I remember Alma’s face, the tear steaked cheeks and red eyes, the clenched hands and the tight posture.

I also remember the cold hard floor, the pain made sense now, I was losing my world and there was no longer someone who would unfailingly catch me on my way down.

Thank God the doctor had been reasonable because I could feel Scott leaving me, leaving this world and I had to give him something to hold on to.

I’m pretty sure everyone thought that I was insane, including the newest ill-advised girlfriend but I currently really did not care.

It hurt, everything hurt but at least now we were hurting together, he had perked up a little already, I even almost smirked at the incredulous voice of the doctor. The tone of his voice a familiar one from throughout my life with Scott in it.

The pain exhausted me, the last thing I remembered thinking was; Please be better, Please wake up, I don’t want to wait anymore to start our life together.

                   **X      x      x      x      x      x      x      x      x**

         

I woke up to the sound of the Moir family, the boisterous, loud, always laughing Moir family who seemed to be keeping it down in deference to the situation. Someone was stroking my hair. I looked up and smiled at the culprit, Alma. The situation hadn’t really hit me but then it all came crashing back.

** Joe Moir  **

We watched as the realisation hit her, she still look exhausted but this look of horror breached her sleepy state. She sat up so quickly never letting go of my son’s hand. They had always been so interlinked, each other’s biggest fan, best friends didn’t cover it, maybe life partner or soul mate would do but what I was witnessing in front of me was someone falling apart whilst trying to stay whole.

She reached out her other hand to Scott’s face, everyone watching fearfully waiting for a second breakdown similar to the one she had had in the waiting room. She let out a shaky breath as she stroked his hair away from his forehead.

I don’t think she realised but she had tears streaming down her face until Alma pushed a tissue into her hand.

“Has the Doctor been in yet, has he stirred at all?”

“The Doctor explained he had been in a bad car accident, he’s suffered severe internal trauma and a minor head injury. You were out for quite a while he could wake up anytime.” I explained.

She released a shaky smile. “I can feel him waking up, it’s what woke me up” she said to the incredulous stares of us all. “It won’t be long now, he knows I’m here.”

She smiled at him, kissing the inside of his wrist of the hand she was holding.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Scott

The chatting was getting annoying, I could hear them all talking. Basically catching up from what I could gather and whilst that did make sense considering the last time we had all managed to get together had been Christmas it would have been nice to be able to tell them to shut up.

Jesus my head hurt, though the warm fuzzy feeling tinged with worry that floated at the edge of my conscious told me that Tessa was there waiting for me to join the land of the waking. I would do anything for her including fight against the pain that was present in my body. 

I couldn’t figure out where I was or why I was unconscious, I remember being on my way to break up with Jane, this charade wasn’t fair to anyone especially her. She was perfectly lovely, pretty and really she wouldn’t hurt a fly but she didn’t like Tessa. She was jealous that was plain to see and she definitely wasn’t as good at hiding it as the other girls had been. I couldn’t do it any longer, it made me uncomfortable and Tessa couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong and I knew it was time for me to buck up and sit down with Tessa and finally have the conversation that we should have had years ago. 

I loved her, why hadn’t I been able to admit those years ago.

Danny

Jane was getting antsy and somehow I didn’t think that was a good thing.   
For one it hadn’t been fair of Scott to string her along like this and even though Scott thought that Tessa was a perfect angel Tess was definitely aware of what her presence in Scott’s life would mean to other girls. You could almost tell that she viewed them as stop gap measures but boy was that girl patient, she could out wait Yoda, she knew that eventually Scott would be able to get his act together. To be honest she was smart and knew that she couldn’t rush him into anything otherwise he would balk and run away from the life that she knew they could have together. 

Mom and Kate had been planning the wedding for years, and even though he wasn’t supposed to know he knew that their dads had been secretly renovating Grandpa Moir’s old lake house for them when they were ready. 

Tessa hadn’t left Scott’s bedside in hours, sleeping from the start and had woken up a few minutes ago announcing that Scott would wake soon and that of all things her presence had ensured it. Sure those two had always been weirdly connected, he still remembered that time at ten and twelve when they had spent a week in bed with the flu barley speaking out loud but still laughing and giggling at inside jokes that they weren’t telling.

At Tessa’s exclamation Janes face went from bad to worse.

“What on earth are you talking about? What do you mean he can tell you’re here? Why are you so special? Why am I not enough? Why are you lot so excepting of this? She’s clearly insane."

Tessa merely smiled.

“Te … tes….tessa” Scott whimpered.

She leant down next to his ear and whispered something that none of us could hear.

“Scottie, everyone’s here, you’re okay, I promise.”

“Birdie, it hurt’s” he whimpered.

She looked up frantically, “Someone call the doctor and will one of you take her out of here if she’s going to be ridiculous”

She continued to stroke his face and keep him calm. 

“Come on Jane, I’ll explain everything outside. I’ll get the Doctor, Tess.”

Mom continued to weep with happiness in the background, whilst Dad held his face in his hands in relief, at least he was awake, everything was a little bit brighter now.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4   
Jane  
I knew what they called me behind my back, plain Jane and Tessa look alike number 5, but Tessa, she never called me anything but Jane. We’d never even met properly, I’d seen her once when I had gone to see Scott skate. Having set there seething with jealousy for a whole 10 minutes all I got from Scott was a brief smile and a blank stare from Tessa as they walked past into the warm up area.  
But I knew she simply referred to me as Jane in conversation, she didn’t even really care enough to meet me. So yes I finally got angry, she was leaning all over my boyfriend, holding his hand and sharing that freaky connection of theirs that I was never going to be able to understand. She hadn’t even taken her eyes off him just told someone to make me leave the room, it was then that I realised that nothing else was actually registering just Scott. 

“Jesus Christ, Danny are they always like that? I don’t think she once registered that I was in the room?”

“Excuse me, my brother is awake and in a lot of pain, can you get someone to see him? Thanks” Danny said to a passing nurse. 

“Look Jane, there is not much I can tell you that you probably don’t already know or didn’t learn in the past few hours. I’ve grown up with those two being the way they are and apart from Tessa’s operation they’ve never not been there for each other. I know it’s difficult to understand but everyone warned you before you went out with him. Everyone knows about their relationship, and I know it sounds harsh but you were at best a stop gap.”

I’ve never been so angry in my life and I couldn’t stop myself, I only realised after I’d done it that I had reached up and slapped him across the face. But before I let the guilt set in I told myself that I had every right to be angry not with Danny but certainly with Scott.

“I won’t pretend to understand why I wasn’t enough for Scott but I’m so angry right now that I find myself not caring as much as I should do.”

“Jane, please I’ll make sure Scott call’s you but I need to be back in there.”

“Ha, I don’t want him to call me just tell him to delete my number and to take my stuff to my mother’s house. I’m so done with this family and this ridiculous skating obsession you all have.”

 

Tessa

“Okay, that should keep him comfortable but awake, just press the button if he needs anything.” Now that the nurse had finished Scott’s face had smoothed, and he seemed calmer.

“Hi Scottie, you’re in the hospital, do you remember what happened?”

“Tess, I’m so tired, I need to tell you something, I was coming to see you but I had to do something first but I haven’t had the chance so now I can’t tell you.”

“Scott whatever it is can wait because I’m going to stay, I won’t leave, and we won’t let what happened last time happen again. I will be there the whole way.”

“Tess I’m sleepy, so are you, you need to sleep. Mum make her go to sleep.”

“Okay Scott, you go to sleep and I’ll make sure Tessa gets some sleep. Is that alright darling? You go to sleep, everything’s okay now.”


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Tessa

The eight hours sleep had done me a world of good, everything seemed to be a little bit better with the new day. Scott was awake, he wasn’t paralysed and the doctor said he would make a full recovery. It is such relief because I don’t know what he would do if he found out he couldn’t skate anymore, it was a thought that I didn’t particularly like to think about myself. 

After grabbing a shower and some breakfast I was out the door and on my way to the hospital. I’d stayed away the mandated ten hours that Alma had made me promise to leave the hospital for and I would not be leaving until she forced me to or Scott came home. I’d packed a bag for myself so that I could shower and change, I’d also dropped by Scott’s to pick up a few bits that I’m sure he’d want. 

The blanket his mum had made him, the picture of us both from the 2010 Olympics and one of us when we were about 9 and 11 out on the lake outside his house. Just little things that would make his room seem a little bit less like a hospital. 

Okay so maybe I drove a little fast on my way to the hospital and my walk to his room may have actually been more of a jog but no one could blame me. Scott was awake and seemingly on his own when I entered the room and the smile he gave me made me feel like I was flying.

“Hi sweetie,” I said “I brought you a few things”

He smiled at me and reached out his hand, “Tutu, I thought you weren’t coming back. I said get some sleep not leave and never come back” he joked. 

“Yeah yeah, well here I am, I have returned as promised. As if I could stay away.” I stepped forward and took his hand and leaned down   
kissed his forehead. He smiled at me and leant up and pressed a kiss to my cheek and then winced as he settled back down.

“Scott! Are you alright?”

“I maybe shouldn’t have moved quite that way just yet but I’ll get there Tess I promise we’ll be back on the ice in no time.”

“Don’t worry about that now, I’m just happy you’re still here with me, I could feel you leaving my Scott, you can’t do that again I simply don’t think I could handle it I’d die of a broken heart, it would be like losing half of me.”

“Oh god I’m sorry Tess, I was driving to Janes I needed to break up with her, it’s simply not fair to her to continue on in the pretence that the relationship was going to go anywhere. The light turned green and I drove and then someone blindsided me, my last thought was of you Tess, I couldn’t bear to leave you here on this world on your own.”

I was speechless, I think that was the first time that Scott had come close to expressing his true feelings. I’d always accepted that we shouldn’t move any further towards a relationship whilst competing it could have made things messy but every explanation had always hurt a little.

I leant forward and pressed a kiss to each cheek and wiped away the tear that escaped, Scott smiled at me and we just sat there in silence content with each other’s presence. It was perhaps not the best moment for the entire Moir clan and my parents to enter the room but as it was it happened. They moved in around us pointedly ignoring our current position. 

“Good morning my darlings”, my mother could always be depended on to brighten a room, “now Scott what is this nonsense I hear about you almost leaving us? I do hope that that is all done away with now hmm.” She clasped his hand and smiled. 

“Ah Scott it seems we’ll be needing to have a conversation fairly soon hmm” and there goes my dad making things slightly awkward, he was annoyingly good at it. 

After a couple hours of family time, a nurse came and said that it was time to change Scott’s dressings and then it would probably be best to only have one or two of us stay. 

I held Scott’s hand, “I’ll take the chance to grab a bite to eat and then I’ll be right back, do you want anything while I out.”

“Well if at all possible,” he said sheepishly looking at the nurse, “some chocolate milk?”

The whole room groaned and the nurse smiled and said that that should probably be fine.


End file.
